Chapter 1

The courtroom, which should have been quiet, was packed with countless members of the Demon Race. The seats had long been filled to capacity, and if you added those who were standing, struggling to catch a glimpse of the trial, the numbers were beyond imagination. If you also included those who couldn’t enter the courtroom and were waiting outside for the verdict, it wouldn’t be an exaggeration to say that most of the surviving residents of the capital had gathered here.

The reason they had all crowded into this small space, despite being busy with the reconstruction of the devastated capital, was simple. Today was the day of the final judgment for the Worst Hero, Kaiser, who had mercilessly slaughtered an unimaginable number of their kin and wounded their one and only leader, the Demon King.

On the other hand, putting a Hero on trial was an unprecedented and highly unusual event. After all, it was customary to kill a Hero on the spot if they were defeated by the Demon King or failed to reach the capital. However, for reasons unknown, the current Demon King, who had emerged victorious after a long and bloody battle, had spared Kaiser’s life. As a result, Kaiser, who had been in a state of limbo, had finally been brought to this trial. Of course, considering the unspeakable atrocities he had committed, the outcome was practically predetermined.

As the judges entered to deliver the verdict, and everyone in the room held their breath, focusing on one spot, the massive iron doors began to creak open with an eerie metallic sound. At the same time, the protagonist of this trial slowly emerged. Alongside the Elite Demon Army, the Hero Kaiser, now fully revealed before the countless spectators, stood.

The strongest and the worst of Heroes… Yet, despite his terrifying titles, the figure that appeared here was pitifully disheveled. A man with a massive build, unusual for a human, with disheveled bright red hair. Despite his imposing stature, his body, clad in what could only be described as rags, was covered in deep wounds. It seemed he had endured severe torture, and his appearance, barely able to walk with an eye patch, was far from the terrifying monster everyone had imagined.

Adding to this, his hands, feet, and entire body were tightly bound with thick chains. As the crowd watched in stunned silence, someone, overcoming their fear, let out a hate-filled scream. It was a curse filled with endless resentment and hatred from a Demon who had lost their precious family to Kaiser’s indiscriminate slaughter.

This was just the beginning. One by one, more and more people, emboldened by the crowd’s anger, began to shout, filling the courtroom with their voices. Some, unable to control their excitement due to mob mentality, even tried to rush forward to kill him themselves. The judges, seeing this, hurriedly ordered silence, but it was far too late to stop the frenzy.

“Kill him! Kill him! Kill him! Kill him!!!”

Though the specifics varied, the core sentiment was the same: death. The most horrific death imaginable for the Worst Hero who had taken so much from them. In the midst of this chaos, a normal trial was practically impossible. Even the usually composed Demon Race had never harbored this much resentment toward anyone before.

The chief judge, rubbing his forehead in the high castle, called over a guard and gave an order. The guard, momentarily surprised, nodded and quickly descended to the courtroom. Amidst the deafening screams and shouts, the guard stood before the half-dead Hero, took a deep breath, and slowly reached out to remove the thin cloth eye patch covering Kaiser’s eyes.

Just removing the eye patch had an effect beyond imagination. The moment his orange eyes, like a setting sun or a blazing fire, were revealed, the atmosphere in the room shifted 180 degrees. Those eyes, still burning brightly despite his battered state, reignited the fear that the Demons had barely overcome. Some fainted on the spot, while others collapsed, their legs giving out. The once chaotic room fell into a heavy silence.

Seizing the moment, the judges quickly began the trial. As the high-ranking officer of the Demon Army listed Kaiser’s horrific crimes one by one, sobs and murderous glares filled the courtroom. Kaiser, however, remained indifferent, staring straight ahead as if he had no interest in his own fate. This only fueled the survivors’ anger further.

Finally, as the trial neared its end, the chief judge spoke. “Hero Kaiser, you have one last chance to speak. If you have anything to say, say it now.”

To everyone’s surprise, Kaiser, who had remained silent throughout the trial, slowly opened his mouth. With a calm and dignified demeanor, completely at odds with his situation, he spoke words that shocked everyone.

“…Too easy.”

“What… did you say?”

“It’s a shame, really. I didn’t realize so many bugs were still hiding. I could’ve taken my time killing them all and then gone to meet the Demon King. I guess I got too excited about meeting the great Demon King.”

The pale-faced Demons stared in horror as Kaiser smiled brightly. In that moment, everyone realized that his words weren’t mere bravado but genuine regret. Given his track record, it was entirely possible. But no one had expected him to reveal such thoughts here, and the shock was overwhelming.

“…Do you have no intention of apologizing or showing remorse until the very end?”

“Apologize? Remorse? Heh… hehe. Ahahaha!! Even a stray dog would laugh at that. You’ve killed plenty yourselves, yet you call my actions crimes? How laughable.

This world is nothing but survival of the fittest. The weak are trampled under the strong, without even knowing why. And according to that rule, I was defeated by someone stronger—that woman. That’s all there is to it.”

As Kaiser spoke, he recalled the fierce battle he had fought against the Demon King. A woman of rare beauty, unbecoming of the title of the Strongest Demon King. He had come so close to victory but was defeated by a hair’s breadth. Honestly, he wanted to fight her again, even though he knew it was impossible.

As he dwelled on his regrets, the judge delivered the verdict. The punishment was the most extreme form of execution, one that would annihilate both body and soul. Kaiser accepted it calmly, having expected this outcome since his defeat.

But as he was being taken away for execution, something felt off. The guard changed their destination abruptly, and Kaiser was placed in a different prison. Then, a suspicious Demon with long blue hair appeared before him.

“Nice to meet you, Hero Kaiser. This is our first time seeing each other, isn’t it?”

“……”

“Now, now, no need to glare so fiercely. If it weren’t for me, you’d already be erased from this world.”

The woman, with a sly smile and an unsettling laugh, claimed she had prevented his execution. Kaiser, intrigued, looked at her with curiosity. Among all the Demons he had faced, only the Demon King and this woman had shown such an interesting reaction.

“…I don’t know what you’re thinking, but you’re bold. Helping me won’t do you any good in this world.”

“Helping you? Don’t misunderstand. I’m only interested in your brilliant soul. The essence of limitless power that surpasses human limits, the secrets of the soul still shrouded in mystery—that’s the goal of my research. And you’re the perfect subject.

Besides, as far as the world is concerned, Hero Kaiser has already disappeared today. Even if your execution wasn’t carried out, there’s no way to prove it.”

As she spoke, Kaiser felt an instinctive unease. Without hesitation, she injected a mysterious syringe into his neck. Bound as he was, resistance was impossible. As his consciousness faded, Kaiser, who had been holding on with sheer willpower, finally succumbed to darkness.

The last thing he heard was her soft, laughter-filled whisper.

“It was nice meeting you, even if it was brief. …Now, have a good dream, forever.”